Blog

Real estate investments offer a lucrative opportunity to generate recurring income and build wealth over time. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, understanding the different types of real estate investments and your risk tolerance is crucial for making informed decisions. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore investing in REITs, residential real estate, and commercial...

Property management is important to the efficient and sustainable operation of buildings and infrastructure. As we near the end of the year and begin to shift focus to 2024, the world of property management is evolving rapidly.  Advances in technology, changing demographics, environmental issues, and the need for greater cost-efficiency are constants in our work to manage commercial real estate....

Property Managers are a first line of defense between your commercial property and the elements during a severe weather event.  Management teams play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of tenants and resilience of commercial properties, especially when it comes to preparing for severe weather events. From hurricanes and floods to blizzards and wildfires, severe weather can wreak havoc on...

The work environment has undergone a significant shift in recent years. The introduction and lasting impacts of hybrid work schedules are a force in commercial real estate. Hybrid schedules see employees returning to office environments 2-3 days a week on average with full weeks in the office a thing of the past for a large number of workers.  As Property Managers, we find ourselves at ground...

2023 has been a particularly challenging year for investing in the commercial real estate (CRE) business. The market is grappling with various factors, including struggling existing portfolios, rising concerns about the future, and the influence of high interest rates on CRE lending. To better understand the CRE investment landscape and what’s on the horizon, we analyzed current trends to...

Institutional investors are among the most active and well-funded investors in the real estate market.  These organizations or entities pool together large amounts of money and invest those funds on behalf of others. These investors manage significant amounts of capital, often from multiple sources, such as pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, mutual funds, hedge funds,...

Ciminelli has always been active in the real estate market, making key investments and realizing opportunities when they arise. Investing in real estate can take many forms, but given Ciminelli’s full service commercial real estate platform, the value-add approach has proven to be successful.  Our skills in property and asset management, and brokerage set our team apart from other investors and...

Interest rates have a significant impact on real estate investors and the overall real estate market. Changes in interest rates can influence the overall level of real estate market activity and ultimately the opportunities available to real estate investors. When rates are low, investors might be more inclined to buy and sell properties, as the cost of financing is lower. On the other hand,...

As companies assess their office needs and the impact work from home strategies have on those needs, there has been a trend toward smaller spaces, in turn leaving some office buildings and corporate centers with historic vacancy. This change comes at an opportune time, with the demand for housing skyrocketing over the last few years. Conversion projects, specifically converting commercial office...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer in a growing number of industries, and commercial real estate is no exception. AI is the ability of a computer to do tasks that are usually completed by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.  With the ability to analyze vast amounts of data and make intelligent predictions, AI is revolutionizing the way...

From sustainability to the creation and increase in property technology, commercial development is undergoing significant changes and developing new trends to fulfill the needs of the end users. The pandemic has undeniably changed the future of development, which can be seen in the five trends outlined below. Let’s dive into these trends to learn what trends we’ll be seeing over the next few...

Over time, commercial real estate development has been guided by many principles of design, function, and finance. There has been an increasing emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives shaping the next generation of development projects. Demand for these initiatives and their outcomes is driven by investors and communities impacted by the project, so developers must...

Real estate development is a multi-faceted discipline that requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the market. It involves the acquisition, financing, and construction or renovation of properties with the goal of creating value. Successful real estate development projects can enhance communities and be profitable, but they require a thoughtful combination of...

Virtual tours have been around for a decade, but their popularity among renters has become more commonplace in recent years.  Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in growing the popularity of virtual tours, but the benefits of virtual imagery have always been apparent.  In fact, residential leasing and sales have long been driven by imagery, image rich website listings, and open...

Homeowners’ associations (HOA) have a significant role within their communities.  The volunteer group of owners, commonly referred to as the Board, is charged with maintaining common areas, managing budgets/fiscal responsibilities, and enforcing/complying with governing documents of the association.  As part of these responsibilities and as is common with any real estate, the oversight of...

Since professional HOA management companies are intended to be a tool for an HOA board of directors, it’s important for stakeholders to measure their chosen management company’s performance to determine if they are meeting the needs of the overall community. Whether your management company has been with you for decades or a few years, it’s never a bad time to assess the market to analyze if they...

Case study 1: Communication with homeowners One of the most important responsibilities of an HOA manager is communication with homeowners.  Failing to respond to emails and phone calls or not providing adequate information about HOA meetings and decisions is poor practice and creates frustration and confusion among homeowners, leading to a breakdown in trust and a lack of cooperation. For...

What is a Self-Managed HOA? A self-managed HOA is one where the board of directors and the homeowners handle management and maintenance of the community. Specific tasks include communicating with HOA membership, collecting dues, managing finances, coordinating capital projects, enforcing bylaws, maintaining common areas, and handling disputes. Self-managed HOAs are typically run by volunteers,...

Condominium/HOA Management Services When homeowners choose to enter a condominium and/or HOA community, the goal is to reap the benefits of ownership, like financial returns and tax benefits, while sharing the physical expenses that come with owning a property amongst a collective group and ensuring the value of the asset is maintained. However, making management decisions for a condominium or...

A Guide To Local Hotspots - The Mentholatum The Mentholatum, located at 1360 Niagara Street among the City of Buffalo’s West Side neighborhoods, has been an attractive option for apartment seekers for years due to its location within the emerging Niagara Street corridor and proximity to some of the City of Buffalo’s most popular retail, dining and outdoor destinations. Check out a few of our...